Smartphones, tablets and other mobile devices, for better or for worse, are sources of infinite distraction. We have too many candies that must be crushed, too many ropes that need to be cut, and too many birds flapping past innumerable pillars. Even so, you can actually be more productive and get more done if you empower yourself with the right iPhone apps.

Rather than being a tool for procrastination and mindless socializing, that smartphone can help you kick bad habits, tick items off your to-do list, and make the most of your time. We had previously featured several iPhone productivity apps that you may want to consider and today’s list focuses on the simple goal of getting things done (though not necessarily through the GTD method).

30/30

In some ways, you could say that this app has some tangential relationship to the Pomodoro Technique. In other ways, you could say that it is utterly and completely different. What you do with 30/30 is populate it with all the tasks that you’d like to accomplish, plus the time that you expect to spend on each item. The timer in the app will then tell you when it’s time for you to move on to the next task. This keeps you focused, not so subtly reminding you of what you should be doing right this moment. It keeps you moving along, so you don’t get stuck in a rut.

Cal

To keep track of all the things that are happening in your life, you usually find yourself bouncing between a couple of apps. You’ve got a calendar with your appointments and meetings, and then you’ve got some sort of to-do list. The reason why Cal is a better calendar app is that it can connect to your Any.do task manager, integrating everything together in a seamless way. Daily planning is simpler, scheduling is easy, and you can even use it as a discovery tool for restaurants and bars. That way, you can get more done, rather than fiddling between apps.

Gneo

The only paid iPhone app on this list, Gneo is also an award winner. It takes the standard to-do list and supercharges it with additional features to functions to help you not only get more done, but get the more important stuff done first. The tasks created in the app are organized based on importance and urgency. There’s a “Work Canvas” for the lay of the land, a “Forecast” view to see when you’ll have time to hit those tasks, and Evernote integration to tie into your notes, files, tags and reminders.

IQTELL

Email has revolutionized the way that we communicate with one another. It’s a great way to get more done, but it can also become an incredible burden. IQTELL taps into the GTD way of doing things with context, “waiting for” and tickler file functionality. Manage your e-mail and your tasks in one place. You can collect all your emails in one place, creating to-do lists, projects and reminders right from the messages themselves. Just swipe right for productivity!

Timeful

If you hadn’t already noticed, a recurring theme on this list is figuring out how to connect a to-do list with a calendar. Timeful also aims for that objective, providing “intelligent assistance to make the most of your time.” The “sophisticated algorithms” snatch the tasks for your to-do lists and suggests the best times in the day to do them. It takes a look at your availability (based on your calendar), the location where you’ll be, and your productivity level at different times of the day. This way, you schedule your tasks for when you’d be the most effective at accomplishing them.

A freelance writer and professional blogger based out of Vancouver, Canada, Michael Kwan focuses primarily in the areas of consumer electronics, entrepreneurship, and personal development. He blogs six times a week at Beyond the Rhetoric. Follow him on Twitter: @michaelkwan